United States and United Kingdom have disseminated this Sunday new warnings directed at their nationals about the use of airports in Saudi Arabia, after the wave of attacks perpetrated by the Houthi militias from Yemen. These attacks, concentrated in several Saudi airfields during the weekend, have left a death toll in double digits and hundreds of injured.
In the case of the United States, the State Department, through its travel portal TravelGov, has published an alert in which, citing "additional attacks against King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and a targeted attack against King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on October 11," emphasizes that U.S. government workers assigned to Saudi Arabia "require special authorization to use" both the capital's airport and those in Jeddah and Dammam.
The statement also urges U.S. citizens to "be alert to possible flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions" and to "check the status of their flight departure," suggesting "options for transportation by private car, train, and bus" as alternative means of travel given the current instability.
In parallel, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a NOTAM notice directed at general aviation pilots to "exercise extreme caution when operating in the Jeddah flight information region due to flight safety risks associated with ongoing military activities and GNSS (global navigation satellite system) interference," warning that "the threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including the phases of overflight, arrival, and departure of the flight."
For its part, the British Foreign Office has stated that it "advises against all non-essential travel to the cities of Jeddah and Dammam and to all Saudi airports," with the only exception being Medina airport. Furthermore, it has emphasized that "British citizens should continue to avoid King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until the airport is safe following the serious incident on October 10."
"If British citizens wish to leave Saudi Arabia, they must consult the travel advice from the Foreign Office regarding possible alternative land routes," added the Foreign Office, emphasizing the convenience of planning any travel in advance.
The Houthi militias have attacked several airports and military bases in Saudi territory in recent days, with particular intensity against the Riyadh airfield. In this last one, eleven people lost their lives on Saturday and another fatality was recorded on Sunday, in addition to hundreds of injuries, most as a result of the initial attack.